CHAPTER FIVE

The Reunion

Cloud felt his grip on the Buster sword waver, the energy draining from his aching arms as he gasped for air. His heart continued to race, the adrenaline pumping, beads of sticky sweat streaming down his cheeks. The others bore the same exhausted expressions as he, all but Cait Sith panting as they once again shouldered their weapons. The battle had reminded them of the dangers they faced at the centre of the crater; that their conflict was no longer simply against the storm. Around the party, the unrelenting gale began to pick up speed, hazing their path as clouds of dust forced their way across the ledge.

'What's that?' cried Yuffie, her voice distant over the screaming wind, pointing past Cloud to where the creature had fallen.

He spun, raising the sword aloft in anticipation of the monster's next move. To his surprise, he saw nothing but the form of a humanoid limb resting against the edge of the cliff. The moulding blue skin of the arm was torn to reveal stale muscle and cartilage protruding at either end of the joint, a faint smear of dark blood seeping onto the rock. Cautiously, Cloud took a few paces forward, frowning as he investigated the strange remains of their foe.

'What the hell is it, man?' called Barret.

'It…it…' he stammered, unable to find words as he was met with a grim realisation.

'Cloud?'

'It's Jenova.' he shouted, turning to face the group. 'These are the cells of Jenova.'

'What?' said Tifa. 'Are you sure?'

'Positive.' he said in a cold voice. 'It's the same thing me and Barret fought when we saw Sephiroth on the cargo ship.'

'What the hell's goin' on?' said Cid angrily, growing frustrated in his unsuccessful attempts to light his next cigarette. 'Talk in a language we can all understand, will ya?'

'Jenova's cells…the Reunion…' muttered Cloud. 'So that's what all this is about. It's all beginning to make sense.'

'Don't make no damn sense to me!' said Barret.

'Jenova has brought us here as part of her Reunion.'

'Jenova?' said Tifa. 'Not Sephiroth? You mean all this time it wasn't Sephiroth we were chasing?'

'I'll explain later.' said Cloud. 'Right now, the only thing I'm thinking about is finding him and stopping all this.'

'But, I thought you said…'

'He's here.' said Cloud firmly, cutting Tifa off. 'The real Sephiroth is just beyond here. I can feel him…it's stronger than anything I've felt before. He's been here all this time…still incredibly wicked and cruel. He's been releasing his powerful Will from deep within this site.'

'Cloud, what are you talking about?' said Nanaki.

Glancing around at the dismembered arm, an overwhelming urge filled his body like the rush of a drug. The small, rotting chunk of flesh stared back at him, teasing him with his weaknesses, sneering at him in its superiority. With a roar of uncontrollable rage, he snatched the arm from the ground, and hurled it as far as he could into the misty depths of the Northern Crater. As he stood staring out over the twisting ledges of the crater's inhospitable landscape, his chest heaving, his maddened eyes caught a shimmer of black hidden in a fissure at the side of the pathway. Kneeling down, he reached into the thin crack, his fingers wrapping around the smooth, glassy orb.

It can't be…

'Cloud, what is it?' yelled Yuffie.

He grew slowly to his feet, not taking his gaze from the black murkiness that swirled within the tiny sphere. It seemed much lighter than before, as if the weight of its burden had been lifted. Cradling the orb in his palm, he rejoined the others, holding it out for them all to see.

'That's not…?' spluttered Cait Sith.

'The Black Materia is back in our hands.' said Cloud. 'Now all I have to do is defeat Sephiroth and that'll be the end of it.'

'You?' coughed Cid.

'I'm sorry, everyone.' said Cloud, lowering his head. 'But I'm going on alone. I have to settle the score with him by myself.'

'I'm coming with you.' said Tifa.

'Tifa, no.' he said pleadingly. 'I don't want you to get hurt.'

'Look,' she said assertively, folding her arms, 'I know you want to get revenge on Sephiroth because of what he did in Nibelheim, but did you ever stop to think exactly how I feel?'

'Tifa…'

'He killed my father, too, Cloud!' she snapped. 'Or had you forgotten about that in your own desperate desire to get even?'

'Tifa…I…I'm sorry…'

'It doesn't matter.' she said. 'All that matters now is that we go on together and finish this.'

'Alright.' Cloud sighed.

'We'd better not take the Black Materia any further.' said Tifa as she stepped forward, pulling her studded gloves tighter over her fists. 'Why don't you give it to someone else to hold onto?'

'Yeah, you…you're right…' he said, reluctantly passing the Materia to Barret.

'Damn, man!' groaned Barret, examining the orb in his hand. 'Pressure's on now.'

'Don't give it to anyone.' said Cloud as he retreated to where Tifa waited. 'We're all counting on you.'

'Good luck.' said Nanaki, watching as the two started towards the dust storm ahead.

'Cloud.' called Vincent. Cloud looked over his shoulder to see him standing tall over Yuffie and Cait Sith, his ragged cloak blowing wildly in the wind. Nodding once, his red eyes burning deep into Cloud's, Vincent allowed his pale face to again become concealed by his hair and collar. 'Be careful.'

'You sure you're ready for this?' asked Cloud as the others began to fade from sight.

'Ready as I'll ever be.' Tifa replied with forced enthusiasm, flashing him a quick smile. 'Let's go find Sephiroth.'

Leading the way, Cloud crept carefully over the unstable mounds of rock on the ridge, every moment checking the footing of his next step would not cause them to plummet from the path. As they advanced onwards, the ledge grew thinner than any they had yet negotiated. Concerned by the closing fog, he took Tifa's hand, the two helping one another across the broken walkway. On either side of them, Cloud could make out columns of stone ascending from the mist like soundless sentinels, guarding the trail to the natural fortress.

Beyond the hail of dirt and ice, a brilliant white light emerged. It transfixed the two, both focusing on its luring glow as they fought their way through the battering gale. As they neared the light, sharp flares of lightning exploded around them, illuminating their path for a split second. The ground shook beneath them, the very earth quaking in the endless surge of the Planet's destructive powers. Grabbing Tifa's wrist, Cloud broke into a sprint, shielding his eyes as he charged blindly forward, the cold bite of frost piercing his face.

Then, without warning, it stopped. The pair inhaled deeply as they glanced around, seeing the high border of grey cloud rushing behind them in a furious torrent, encircling the arching walls of rock that rose to form a domed enclosure around the centre of the crater. A short distance along the ridge stood a lone cavern, its stone entrance shrouded by waves of dancing Mako, the green current of the Lifestream erupting into the moonlit sky around it. Atop the enormous cavern, the Highwind hovered above the reach of the Mako rivers, a heavy chain of iron anchoring the airship to the rock.

'Where are we?' said Tifa, her jaw dropping in awe of the spectacular setting.

'The eye of the storm.' answered Cloud, starting along the ledge. 'The Planet's been trying to protect this place…healing its two-thousand year old wound. Sephiroth needed somewhere abundant in Spirit Energy to regenerate. What better a location than the scar Jenova left on the Planet?'

'What are you saying, Cloud?'

'C'mon.' he urged. 'We have to get to him before the Shinra do.'

As he trekked across the barren pathway, hurdling boulders of jagged land as he hurried towards the cavern, Cloud sensed a presence around him, surveying him from afar. Stopping to offer Tifa his assistance in clambering over an uneven crack, his world was suddenly plunged into total blackness, an eerie silence falling over his surroundings. Only the anxious breathing of Tifa could be heard, her figure remote and dim in the unending darkness.

'What's going on?' she cried, gripping Cloud's arm. 'What's happening?'

'Calm down, Tifa.' said Cloud. 'Sephiroth is near. Anything could happen. Just don't move.'

Around them, the image of Nibelheim began to form, leaving the two beneath the frail overhanging gateway of the town. A silent path of murky granite ventured deeper into the boundaries of settlement from where they stood, lined on both sides by broad houses of pale sandstone. An ancient pickup motortricycle lay rusting in a small garden at the edge of the road, its decrepit exterior sheltered from the world by a white fence of painted wood. The shadow of Mount Nibel began to shape as the cool sun of late summer appeared in the dissipating overcast sky, cautiously slithering over the redbrick rooftops towards them.

'Nibelheim?' squeaked Tifa. 'Why are we here?'

'This is an illusion Sephiroth has made up.' said Cloud. 'He's trying to confuse us.'

'But what if something happens?'

'We'll be fine.' he said. 'As long as we remember it's just an illusion, there's nothing to be afraid of.'

'Yeah, you're right.' said Tifa, pulling her body close to his for comfort, but sprang back as she glanced over his shoulder. 'Cloud…look!'

From the old trail leading to the Velamyu Forest, a bulky army vehicle rumbled into view and came to a halt less than two hundred feet from the gateway. After a few moments, the rear of the truck swung open, and two Shinra soldiers hopped onto the road, followed by the elegant Sephiroth. Under the superior's orders, the three began towards Cloud and Tifa, the sounds of the unfolding scene barely detectable.

'I remember this.' said Cloud, frowning as the apparitions strode past them, stopping beneath the entrance to the town. 'But…'

They heard the hushed slam of a door and, turning back to the army vehicle as it pulled away, saw another man jogging along the trail to join Sephiroth and the soldiers. He wore a First Class SOLDIER uniform, not unlike Cloud's outfit; clad in a dark blue sleeveless jumper and combat trousers, tied down by steel-plated armour and a belt bearing the Crest of SOLDIER. The man appeared no older than eighteen, his handsome, sharp young face and sparkling blue Mako eyes hidden somewhat by his long locks of spiked black hair. As he trotted alongside them, Cloud caught sight of the Buster sword strapped to the man's back, and gazed at Tifa in bewilderment.

'I remember all of this.' he said curiously. 'But, that man…that's not me. Who is that?'

'Stop it, Sephiroth' wailed Tifa, her begging eyes wandering to his vision at the head of the party. He stood with his back to them, chuckling callously to himself as he had five years ago, the unheard conversation coming to its climax.

'This is so stupid.' said Cloud. 'Tifa…what's wrong?'

'Nothing.' she said quickly, her head snapping back towards his. 'It's…uh…it's just an illusion, right? Cloud, don't worry about it.'

'I'm not worried.' he said. No sooner had the words left his mouth, the scene dissipated once more into blackness as the men entered Nibelheim. The air around them grew cold again, the pleasant warmth of the afternoon vanishing with the four soldiers. 'Great…what's next?'

'Sephiroth!' said Tifa, her teeth chattering. 'Stop it already!'

With a flash, the scene of Nibelheim's square engulfed by a raging fire opened before them. Through the black clouds, they could make out the smoldering shops on the square's circumference, and the crumbling water tower at its centre. The bedroom annex of Gramps' Inn had completely collapsed around the building's entrance, exposing its disintegrated interior. More than a dozen townspeople lay slaughtered across the ground, dark blood oozing from the multiple sword wounds. They had been shown no mercy; their corpses left in the same sadistic positions as they had fallen.

'This is actually what happened five years ago…' said Cloud quietly, watching Tifa as she began to sob. 'But…it probably won't be me that comes out of the Shinra Mansion. He's going to try and show us another illusion.'

From the distance, they saw the manor's old oak door suddenly open, revealing the black-haired SOLDIER in the entrance. The man stopped as the furious blast of crisp warm air assaulted his skin, a muffled cry escaping his lips as he saw the inferno of orange flames climbing into the night sky above the town. He staggered down the garden path of the mansion towards the mangled gate of hewed iron that clung despairingly to the redbrick wall, at last breaking onto to the rocky dirt trail. The obvious hurt of his injuries vanished instantly as the agony of the sight sent adrenaline streaming through his blood, driving him forward towards the burning Nibelheim.

Past the orchard and cottages of the town's border he scrambled, coughing and gasping for air, feeling the searing heat of the fires inside each home as he fought his way through the dense smoke that billowed from windows and doorways. He charged on through the blaze, almost losing his balance as he came to the wide concrete stairs at the edge of the town square, and his image began to fade into the scene.

'See?' insisted Cloud. 'What did I tell you? I know I came that way. All I wanted was to get to mum. I know it was me who tried to save her, but…'

'Cloud, don't watch.' wept Tifa, nuzzling her face into his shoulder. 'I don't want to watch this. Cloud, I'm scared.'

'Tifa, what's wrong?' he asked. 'I told you before, right? As long as we know that it's all just an illusion, there's no need to be afraid.'

'But…why's he doing this?'

'Why don't we ask him?'

'What?'

'Sephiroth, I know you're listening.' he boomed, glaring into the soaring fires that tore through the buildings of the town. Tifa held him nearer, visibly shaken by the images of that fateful night, her tears trickling onto his bare arm. Though his mind repeated time and again that the surroundings were nothing more than a fantasy world Sephiroth had created, he could not ignore the atmosphere of death that lingered amidst the imaginary ruins of Nibelheim's square. 'I know what it is you're trying to tell me.'

'Cloud, no…' gasped Tifa.

'You're trying to say I wasn't in Nibelheim five years ago when you burned it to the ground.' growled Cloud confidently. 'That's it, isn't it?'

'I see you finally understand.' came Sephiroth's low voice from behind them.

They spun to see him standing at the foot of the steps a number of feet from them, his entire body swathed in the orange blaze. He slowly followed the flickering movement of the fire with his hands, caressing the tip of each flame with a gentle touch, as if he considered the illusion as his own masterpiece. Finally bringing his attention to the pair, he grinned wickedly, the darkened patches beneath his green eyes casting an evil expression across his menacing face.

'What you're trying to say is that you want to confuse me, right?' said Cloud. 'It's not enough for you to know that five years of my life are unaccounted for. You want nothing more than to see me lose my mind trying to remember what happened, don't you? But showing me these things won't affect me. I know what happened that night. I remember it all; the intensity of the flames…the anger of betrayal. How could I ever forget the pain I felt that night?'

'Pain, Cloud?' said Sephiroth mockingly.

'The pain I felt in my body…' said Cloud, 'and in my heart…'

'Is that so?' cackled Sephiroth, unable to stop his grin growing wider. 'You are just a puppet. You have no heart; you cannot feel pain. How can there be any meaning in the memory of such a being? What I have shown you is reality. What you remember…that is the illusion.'

'Cloud, don't listen to him.' sobbed Tifa.

'Do you understand, Cloud?' said Sephiroth.

'I don't want to understand.' he said, his mind overloading with thoughts and images; what he deemed to be memories. 'But, I want to ask you one thing, Sephiroth.'

'Go ahead.'

'Why…why are you doing this?'

'I want to take you back to your real self.' he replied. 'You have been hearing the voice in your head for a number of months now, haven't you?'

'That was you?'

'No…not me. It is your real self that has been speaking to you in your thoughts, trying to break free…trying to show you who you really are.'

'Speaking to me?' croaked Cloud. 'The real me? But…why? Who is the real me?'

'The one who so willingly gave me the Black Materia that day.' said Sephiroth. 'Who would have ever thought a failed experiment would prove so useful? Hojo would die if he knew.'

'Hojo?' Cloud snarled. 'What does he have to do with me?'

'Five years ago…' said Sephiroth, his smile fading, 'you were constructed by Hojo, piece by piece, right after Nibelheim was destroyed. A puppet made of vibrant Jenova cells, her regeneration abilities, and the power of Mako. An incomplete Sephiroth Clone…not even given a number. That is your reality.'

'Cloud, don't listen!' begged Tifa, her voice breaking. 'Close your ears…close your eyes…'

'Tifa, why are you acting like this?' he said inquisitively. She stepped back from him, holding a hand over her quivering lips. 'I don't believe what he's saying. I'm not paying any attention to him. Why are you letting this affect you?'

'I'm not…' she whimpered, wiping the tears from her face. 'It's just…he's lying. Telling you that you were constructed by Hojo is a lie. Don't we have our memories together? The two of us as kids? Our promise? It's a lie, Cloud…all of it's a lie…'

'If what I say is a lie,' laughed Sephiroth, 'then why are you worried and scared by your own words?'

'Sephiroth…' she wept.

'Shall I show Cloud what's really in your heart?'

'Sephiroth…no…'

'What's wrong?' he chuckled. 'You look like you don't feel well.'

'Tifa…what's he talking about?' said Cloud, staring at her numbly, his senses dulling as he questioned her.

'Cloud…' she said fearfully, turning her head away.

'Why are you so scared?' he pried. 'Why are you so concerned about me? I'm fine.'

'It's not that…it's just…'

'Don't worry.' he said. 'No matter how confused I am, I'll never believe a word that he says. It's true that sometimes I can't figure out who I am…there's a lot of things muddled up in my memories. But, Tifa…when we first met each other in Midgar, you said 'long time no see, Cloud', right? It doesn't make any difference how lost in my memories I become, because I know that those words will always support me. I'm the one you grew up with…I'm Cloud Strife of Nibelheim. Even if I lose faith in myself, that is the truth. That's why you shouldn't be scared. No matter what anyone else says to me, it's your attitude that counts…'

'That's what bothers me.'

'What bothers you?' asked Cloud. 'Isn't everything I've said right?'

'No, Cloud…' she replied softly, meeting his gaze with swollen eyes, 'it's not…'

'What's not?' he stammered, stunned by her answer. 'Aren't I the same Cloud you grew up with?'

'That's not what I mean.' she said. 'I don't know how to say this…'

'Say what? Tifa, if you're hiding something, please tell me.'

'Cloud, I need some time…' she whispered. 'Just…give me a little time…'

'Don't blame Tifa.' said Sephiroth, leering at the pair with an expression of satisfaction. 'The ability to change one's looks, voice, and words is the power of Jenova. Inside your hollow body, Jenova's cells have merged with Tifa's memories to create a boy she may once have known. Her recollections of Cloud have alone shaped your thoughts and personality. You are only who you are now as a direct result of this. Without Tifa, you would be an empty being.'

'Tifa…?' he croaked. 'Is this…is this true…?'

'Cloud, please don't try to think right now.'

'Think, Cloud!' Sephiroth urged. 'What really happened in Nibelheim that night? Why wasn't it you that ran from that mansion? Where have you been for the last five years…?'

'Stop it!' screamed Tifa.

'Who are you, Cloud? Oh, excuse me…you never had a name…'

'Shut up, Sephiroth!' roared Cloud, covering his ears.

'You still don't understand, do you?' said Sephiroth, shaking his head. 'Tifa, do you remember the photograph that was taken before the party first headed for Mount Nibel?'

'Yes.' she nodded, her body trembling.

'I wonder whatever happened to that picture.' he said, tapping his chin with his fingertips.

Strolling from the road, tracked by Cloud's attentive glare, he crossed the large square to where the hardware store still smouldered. The burned form of the young photographer lay dead in the doorway, his hair singed and his skin peeling. Kneeling at his side, Sephiroth tore a small parchment from his hand and, studying the blackened paper as he climbed to his feet, returned to where the two stood. As he approached, Cloud instinctively drew the Buster sword.

'Don't come any closer!' he growled, his teeth clenched.

'I only want to show you the picture.' sneered Sephiroth, ignoring the warning as he handed the photograph to Tifa. She gulped heavily as she hesitantly accepted it. 'It turned out pretty good, didn't it?'

'Let me see.' said Cloud, his voice uncertain. 'I…I should be in that picture.'

'Be my guest.' said Sephiroth.

'No, Cloud…' gasped Tifa as he snatched the piece of paper from her grip.

It showed three people standing before the tall gates of the Shinra Mansion, their shadows washing over the mossy redbrick wall in the early morning sunlight. Sephiroth was furthest right, his face stern, the Masamune dug into the earth by his side. A youthful Tifa was situated at the centre of the picture, posing gleefully in her brown leather skirt and boots, holding her stetson to prevent it falling from her head. On the left of the photograph, there loomed the nonchalant figure of the black-haired SOLDIER, his charming smile beaming. Cloud let the photograph fall to the ground.

'This doesn't mean anything, right?' said Cloud. 'It's not real. This is all just an imaginary world Sephiroth made up.'

'Cloud…'

'It's a fake.' he mumbled. 'I know it is. The truth is in my memory.'

'Is it?' said Sephiroth. 'Tell me again what happened back then.'

'Five years ago, I came back to Nibelheim with you,' Cloud started, 'to inspect the strange disappearance of Shinra employees at the Reactor in the Nibel Mountains. I was sixteen. The town hadn't changed at all; still as quiet as it had always been. I saw my mum. I met the people I knew. I spent the night at Gramps' Inn, and got guided tour to the Reactor by Tifa the next day. I was so excited about it. It was my first important mission in a long while as a SOLDIER…SOLDIER? When did I enter SOLDIER? How…how did I join SOLDIER?'

'Now he understands.' said Sephiroth.

'Why…why can't I remember?' spluttered Cloud, dropping to his knees, cradling his head in his hands.

'Because you are a puppet.'

'Stop it!' yelled Tifa, rushing to help him. 'Sephiroth, what have you done? Sephiroth…?'

Sephiroth smirked with twisted amusement as Cloud writhed in anguish before him, his eyes glinting with the thrill of his triumph. Tifa crouched beside Cloud, embracing him in an effort to comfort the torment of his merciless confusion. Taking a step backwards, Sephiroth's shape began to evaporate into the air, drawing the vision of Nibelheim with him. Once again, an impenetrable curtain of blackness descended over the two, isolating them from the world. It was not until the low, raspy voice cut through the darkness around her that she realised how very alone and afraid she had become.

'Stop calling me Sephiroth…'